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(No Model.)

' H. W. FOWLER.

NAIL EXT'RAGTOR.

Patented May 13, 1884-.

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HERVEY W. FOWVLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

NA! L-EXTRACTO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,683, dated May 13, 1884. Application filed February 11, 1884. (No model.)

50 all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERVEY W. FOWLER, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Spike-Extractor, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a tool or implement for pulling spikes or nails in the quickest and easiest possible manner and without bending or otherwise injuring the spike. I attain these ends by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents the tool in side elevation as applied to commence drawingthe embedded spike. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the position of the tool in its different parts when it has fully drawn the spike. Fig. 8 represents the detachable and jointed chain or pendent claw-shaft with claw attached. Fig. at represents the detachable lever-bar socket, the lower end of which is circular in form, and is the drum over which the jointed chain or pendent claw-shaft is wound when operated to extract the spike. Fig. 5 represents the stand in which the lever-bar socket rests and turns, and which, when the tool is in use,-may stand upon the tie, as is most convenient.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. 1

A is the lever-bar socket.

' B is the detachable leverbar, which maybe of any convenient form and size, and which enters the socket made for its reception in the upper end of the lever-bar socket A, and is held therein by the pin Z).

O is the stand, showing two detachable pins, (0 and a, of suitable size, and which are the axes upon which the leverbar socket A turns.

1) represents a spike.

E is the claw for clasping the head of the spike, and which, for convenience of removal, is attached to the jointed chain F by the detachable pin 12.

F is the detachable jointed chain or pendent claw-shaft, which may be made as here represented, or in any other jointed or linked form. This chain or jointed pendent clawshaft, which is capable of being wound upon or over a cylinder or drum face when lifting the spike from the tie,I deem a novel and very important feature of my invention, as it will be observed that in consequence of this peculiar construction ,in combination with the drum end of the lever-bar socket A, I am able to lift the spike from the tie for'its entire length along a perpendicular line-a result never before attained, by any device of which I have any knowledge, other than by means of a vertical screw, which method is attended with the loss of so much time as to render its use entirely impracticable. One end of the chain F terminates in the bar G, which is made to'fit into the slot H in the bar-socket A, and is held in place by a pin passing through the bar-socket A at Z), and through the bar G at either 9 or g, as may be required to give the chain proper length.

T is a bifurcated slot passing laterally through the lever-bar socket A, each arm of which, if and 22, describes not less than one-quarter of a circle of equal diameters, and which, uniting at the point J, form one continuous slot. As shown in Fig. 1, this slot is pierced by two stationary pins, (0 and a,which are the axes upon which the lever-bar socket A rests and turns,

and by which it is firmly attached to the stand 0.

U is the face of the circular part of the lever-bar socket A, upon which the j ointed clawshaft is wound in lifting the spike.

hen the tool is placed and applied to the embedded spike, as shown in Fig. 1, and power applied to the bar B, the the pin a,which,being much nearer to the perpcndi cular center of the claw-shaft F than is the pin a, operates with the shorter leverage upon the spike D. Observe thatas the lever-bar B is moved from the left toward the right the spike will be lifted from the tie, and the arm 15 of the slot T will pass around the pin a until its upper terminus reaches and bears upon the pin a. From this point, in the continued course of the lever-bar B from left to right, itwill be seen that the bearing is only on the pin a, and the arm 25 of the slot '1 in its turn passes around the pin auntil the position is reached as shown in Fig. 2 and the spike is lifted entirely out of the tie.

It will be observed that during the abovedescribed operation, in all positions of the machine, the face U of the revolving drum end of bearing rests only on roothe lever-bar socket A would touch an imaginary perpendicular line throughout its entire travel, thereby insuring a straight upward lift of the spike by means of the jointed clawshaft F.

I am aware that prior to my invention leverbars for the purpose of pulling spikes have been made with adjustable and double fulcrums, and I do not claim this feature, broadly; but I am not aware that they have ever been made having a continuous bifurcated slot acting as a variable center, in combination with stationary bearings, or having circular or drum-shaped faces over which a pendent claw shaft or chain is revolved ordrawn.

I therefore claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The lever-bar socket A, having acontinuous bifurcated slot, T, and which, turning upon and'around the stationary axes a and a, in combination with them,turns upon two separate fulcrums without breaking in its motion a point of contact between the periphery of the drum-face U and an imaginary perpendicular line touching it when at rest, substantially as specified. e

2. In a spike or nail extractor, the combination of the jointed claw-shaft F and the drum-faced and slotted lever-bar socket A with the stand 0, having the stationary axes 0 a and a, all substantially as and for the purpose specified. V

HERVEY W. FOWLER.

Witnesses:

HENRY H. MORGAN, ANDREW J. DENIsoN. 

